Flat Art?

[Glen]

Thanks Patrick. It's a new art form for me in terms of figure show displays (Nick, I wasn't saying they were flats or comparing them to the pieces we see here). I saw some pics of pieces at the MFCA show, then one popped up at ReaperCon early this month (pic attached). As near as I can tell, it's a wooden disk presumably painted in acrylics, and then mounted on a polished wood block. The painter was Jessica Rich. She's well-known in fantasy circles and presumably historicals as well; talent like hers isn't restricted to a single genre. I wasn't aware they weren't judged or eligible for awards.


That said, time marches on...


Cheers,


Glen

[Larry Lee]

Just to put a little historical perspective on this question. At least from the U.S. perspective. Back in the 80's there was a really neat collection of Napoleonic infantry figures  dispalayed at MFCA  by a Russian figure painter. At that time figures were very hard to come by in the Soviet Union, so, he cut his figures out of tin coffee cans and painted them. In the same years I know that Ron Rudat displayed a large scale mounted French figure from the "Age of Lace." He told me the figure had been cut out as a silouette and then painted. Rick Taylor has also mentioned in some of his seminars that some of his figures were actually brass blanks cut out on a laser and then he paints them. Since trophy hunting just isn't my thing it doesn't much matter to me how the figure got there just that I got to see it.
 

[gerry Larkin]

Hi Pat, interesting read my friend!
Its safe to say that MFCA Valley Forge show is the American Version of Euro mil? I guess so? well good on you for bringing this kind of artwork to the for! be it ONLY for display, as I have attended this show, I think display only is a great idea and really shows the public the artist to there full. some nice work there!   Cheers Gerry.

[PJDeluhery]

I noticed on the recently posted pics of the MFCA Show that there was a category 'flat art'. It appears to be smalll paintingson canvas panels or illustration board. There's nothing I could find on the MFCA site that addressed any rules about them. Anyone have the scoop?

Glen

I think I can clarify this.  There are a number of painters of both flats and rounds that do "canvas" art or "fine art" or "illustrations" or whatever. The slang for this type of endeavor is "flat art" because, except for us weirdo flat painters, the rest of the world thinks of military miniatures and their equivalents as "rounds" or 3-D art.

The purpose of the Flat Art category is to provide a space for those who do this type of art to display their work. It is (as yet) not judged and no awards are given except for praise from the show-goers. There are really no rules. MFCA has been a leader in trying to make the show inclusive of all related artistic endeavors. They have expanded greatly the fantasy category and have a toy soldier display area as well - which is judged and awards given. I think this is a very positive thing for MFCA and for those who  wish to show another side of their work besides round figures. Personally, I like the idea and enjoy seeing what shows up. I have documented this for the last few years as part of my MFCA report just to show what is being done. My hope is that other shows may also take the idea and run with it. Any relation to our idea of "flats" is unintended. "Our" flats are a long-accepted part of the over all contest categories. Don't over-think this.

[Nicholas Ball]

Personnally speaking they are traditional art on canvas. I have no objection to them  being entered into competition as they are a great art form, beautifully painted  too-  but they are not flats.

Traditional flats are painted figures that have been engraved into slate and cast in metal. Semi rond are those created in putty, resin etc.

If I was a judge, I would create a seperate category for them. 

[Hannibal]

It was introduced by some masters painters of good reputation, to whom nobody was enclined to say "this is out of scope" . So is the world today, what is not forbidden is permitted.
I 'll try my beer glass and if rejected use these examples as jurisprendence cases....  Then we can invite great painters of miniatures in the next years too.... and open the exhibitions to a new category.
 
By the way, have you ever visisted the miniatures room in the Vatican museum   a bauty, a saphir, real talents fantatstice at scales we do use today in the 1:72, even less................

[frankhenson]

Hi
I have always seen the flat as an engraved drawing

Many years ago the club I belong to put on a display and demo at a craft fair.

A couple turned up for a look and the husband was really showing an interest in what we were
exhibiting and asked questions about paints and painting.

His wife ... probably thinking that if her husband takes up this hobby
.... all the household chores ... gardening decorating etc. will fall by the wayside

So she says to him .... Come along dear .... "There is really nothing to it,
After all ...... all they do is colour them in."

So all we do is colour in ... someone else's drawing...... but its how well you do it
is what counts

As for painting on a canvas .... its something I would like to do
and I am sure it has its place

Frank 
 

[Glen]

Well, I understand they're not flats in the traditional sense. I'm just wondering when/how such pieces came about. Somebody had to start it and somebody had to say ok, go ahead and enter it. It seems there's not enough to create their own category. I can see them being entered into 'Painters' for simplicity's sake, but I can also see a case for 'Open' since they are 'scratch-built' in a sense. I can see that they are painted on canvas (either framed or panels) and what looks like illustration board. I can see almost any relatively flat material being used as a painting surface - bark, ceramic, bricks, etc. I'm assuming at this point that the medium is either oils or acrylics, so I'm wondering when oil and chalk pastels or colored pencils might enter the picture. Something else to drive the Contest Directors a bit nuts...


I find the whole thing a bit intriguing, so I have no objections or concerns about it taking hold. We have the Tulsa Show coming up in a few weeks and many of those folks go to MMSI, MFCA, SCAMHS (all big US figure shows), so I'll ask around.


Who knows, maybe the next trend in 'flats' might be detailed drawings printed in a pale gray and colored in... 


Glen

[Hannibal]

we start finding also such painting in Europe the past three years, "painting on flat surfaces", starting with a girl painted on a US airplane dring WW2 at Sèvres 2012, then red girl bust by a Master painter' on a shiny surface, and also a girl half body on flat surcae cut for contour and posted on backgroud. 
This slowly appear and are also not really flats, but miniatures.  A new category would appear probaby to join regular painter.
I will try such painting new year on a beer glass to see the reaction. These are free-hands paintings and canevas is not the only medium surface used (yet) ...
Too soon to create a catégory today, but perhaps he lead issue in Europe could accelerat this evolution and replace the job of engravors, but drawing art more directly !!, and various types of surfaces, like wood, plastic, metal, ... and shapes (flat, round, ... or evolve to embossing on a press.
 

[willie]

 Hi Glen. I saw those paintings at the show and believe last year also. I have no idea what category the fit into. Willie

[Glen]

I noticed on the recently posted pics of the MFCA Show that there was a category 'flat art'. It appears to be smalll paintingson canvas panels or illustration board. There's nothing I could find on the MFCA site that addressed any rules about them. Anyone have the scoop?

Glen